Melegatti pandoro, a Christmas dessert par excellence and pride of Verona since 1894, has become part of the Irish multinational group Valeo Foods. The acquisition was made through Balconi, a historic confectionery company from Lombardy already controlled by the same group, marking yet another passage of an Italian brand under a foreign flag. Melegatti's recent history has been anything but simple. After years of economic difficulties culminating in bankruptcy in 2018, the company had been rescued by Vicenza entrepreneur Roberto Spezzapria, who had taken over the historic brand with the intention of relaunching it while keeping its roots and production in Veneto. Now, a few years later, the ownership changes again, with the entry of a large international group. According to the announcement, the production plants in San Giovanni Lupatoto and San Martino Buon Albergo, in the province of Verona, will continue to operate. An important reassurance, though not a new one: similar promises have accompanied many other acquisitions in the Italian agribusiness sector. It remains to be seen whether, once the integration is complete, the initial intentions will really be confirmed.